DOVER — Residents of the Garrison City had plenty to say about a suggestion raised during the School Board's meeting Monday evening to eliminate football throughout the district.

Paul Butler, a retired physician, expressed his views during the meeting on the effects of serious injuries sustained by players during football games, such as concussions. The aftereffects, he said, were severe enough to consider removing football from the city altogether, calling it the "moral obligation" of School Board members to see that the sport ceases.

Those willing to speak with Foster's on Tuesday regarding the matter were not pleased with the idea, something at least one resident aligned with the "wussification of the country."

Parents, students, and Dover High School alumni all agreed football is a loved part of the city as well as school spirit and should stay.

"I would not like to see that," Lori Carper, of Dover, said Tuesday afternoon in Henry Law Park.

Wearing a Green Wave volleyball T-shirt, she said she thought the concerns raised by Butler were valid to a point, but an injury such as a concussion could happen during a lot of other sports as well.

She said there are a lot of youngsters who rely on the sport for a variety of reasons and it brings people together.

"I think it's a great community sport."

In response to the issue, the School Board released a statement.

"A story about dropping football from Dover High School has caused quite a stir in our community and it seems the entire seacoast. We need to be clear that the comments from Dr. Butler were his reaction to various studies he has read (and is) not the opinion of the Dover School Board. Termination of the DHS football program has not come before the board and is not on any agenda at this time. Dr. Butler's opinion was brought as a matter of interest only during our Oct. 1st meeting."

Jay Curcio, of Dover, said he thinks football is a dangerous sport, but so are a lot of things and removing it from the School District and city isn't the way to approach injuries.

He said car crashes and other tragedies, in comparison, kill a higher number of people. And, he said, knowing the risks of the game and being aware injury might occur, is all part of playing it.

"If you know the risks, that right there should completely exonerate the school or anybody from responsibility," he said.

"We're taking away everything," said Cara Cals, of Dover, who was chatting near the mills at One Washington Center with Curcio.

As both are parents, they said they understand the fear of a child being injured, but they were strongly against dropping the school's program.

A 1977 DHS alumnus and current Dover resident Steven Strong was enjoying the day Tuesday sitting in Henry Law Park and shared a view similar to that of Curcio, saying as long as risks of the sport are known then it's fair game.

He did note, however, a lot changed in the National Football League over the years in response to the effects of injuries and concussions. When asked if he thought risk of injury had increased or changed since his years cheering on the Green Wave from the bleachers, Strong said he didn't really think so.

"Back then they hit pretty hard."

Josh Jumper, a Dover High School senior who's enjoyed some of the games over the course of his academic career, didn't like the idea either.

"I think that's stupid because we have one of the best football teams," he said recalling a game he attended where the Green Wave played the Spaulding Red Raiders and, as he put it, "crushed them."

He also said football is one of the ways some of the players achieve their post-high school plans, obtaining an academic scholarship to a certain university or college, drafting them for their own football team.

His friend Marissa Adams, a senior, said one of her teachers brought the topic up in class on Tuesday following the article in Foster's.

"He was mad," she said. And she agreed that doing away with football would be unfavorable.

"Everybody likes football. Why take it away?" she said.

Butler's points raised during Monday's School Board meeting were related to the severity of the aftereffects of a player being injured and suffering a concussion.

"I think that could be a reason to take it away," Ariana Vazquez said, but added that she disagreed with doing so because football is one of the most popular activities at the school.

Adams said her teacher told the class about how baseball has always been seen as the country's pastime, but that things have changed over the years and football reigns as king of sports.